Disposable wound retractor and drape and method of using same



United States Patent Los Angeles, California [21] Application N0.:567,329

[22] Filed: July 19,1966 [45] Patented: Aug. 4, 1970Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 467,859, June 29, 1965, now abandoned.

[54] DISPOSABLE WOUND RETRACTOR AND DRAPE AND METHOD OF USING SAME 9Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 128/20,

128/132 [51] Int. Cl. A611) 17/02 [50] Field ofSearch 128/20,

132,132D,l55,156,82,127,133,134,477; 222/107; 128/20, 132, 132(P). 89,91

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENT 1,944,009 1/1934 Homer 128/202,401,784 6/1946 Zahara..... 222/107 2,430,046 11/1946 Dreyfus...222/107 2,933,083 4/1960 Kozdas 128/132 3,182,656 5/1965 Pyne 128/1323,263,680 8/1966 Morgan 128/132 3,288,131 11/1966 Garland 128/203,301,259 l/1967 McLeod... 128/477XR 3,314,422 4/1967 Phillips 128/1323,332,417 7/1967 Blanford et al 128/132 3,347,226 10/1967 Harrower128/132 3,364,919 l/l968 Hunnicutt.... 1.28/20 3,372,696 3/1968 Rudie128/132 FOREIGN PATENTS 574,529 1/1946 Great Britain. 128/89 PrimaryEmminer- Richard A Gaudet Assistant llraminer- Kyle L. Howell Attorneys-Finkelstein and Mueth ABSTRACT: A novel disposable wound retractor anddrape comprising a thin plastic sheet having a length substantiallygreater than its width containing longitudinally thereof at one end aplurality of generally parallel transversely spaced thin elongatedmeta-l reinforcing stays of generally rectangular crosssection, one ofthe long dimensions of each stay terminating at the edge of the sheetand the length of the stays being less than the length of the sheet.

Patented Aug. 4, 1970 3,522,800

Sheet 1 /z ZZ'G- .5

Patented Aug. 4, 1970 3,522,800

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BY i 42 US. PATENT 3,522,300 DISPOSABLE WOUND RETRACTOR AND DRAPE ANDMETHOD OF USING SAME The following specification is acontinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 467,859, filed June 29, I965, and nowabandoned.

This invention pertains to a novel reinforced plastic sheet materialcontaining long thin metal reinforcing stays particularly adapted foruse as a surgical drape and in the construction of roll-up tubularcontainers for tooth paste, ointment, blood and the like.

Previously, there have been developed inexpensive surgical drapes whichmay be applied in the operating room directly to the skin of thesurgical patient to form a surgically sterile field upon the patientwith the immobilization of any residual bacteria of the patients skinadjacent to the area where the incision is to be made.

However, I have found that a surgical drape of the foregoing type is notcompletely adequate in practice. The ordinary thin plastic surgicaldrape is not adapted to be wrapped around the edge of the wound orincision and thus does not effectively protect the deeper internal areaof the wound from contamination with bacteria and/or tumor cells whichmay be present around the edge of the incision. Also, the conventionaldrape has a tendency to peel off, with the possibility of bacteria fromthe skin being free to enter the incision. The known thin plasticsurgical drapes were also ineffective and of no value in keeping theincision open in order to permit the surgeon to perform the requiredmovements inside the wound during the course of the operation. For thisreason it is necessary to apply separate retractors in order to maintainadequate access to the interior of the incision.

Thus, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novelreinforced plastic sheet material uniquely adapted for use as a surgicaldrape which possesses many advantages over the known surgical drapesofthe prior art.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novelsurgical drape material which is adapted to be wrapped around the edgesof an incision to reduce the possibility of contamination of theinterior of the incision from bacteria and other matter from the edge ofthe incision.

It is a related object of the invention to provide a surgical drapematerial containing metal stay reinforcements which, upon being wrappedaround the edge of the incision, possess sufficient strength in orderthat the surgical drape itself may be used as a retractor for thepurpose of keeping the wound open during the course of the operation.

In yet another aspect ofthis invention it is an object thereof toprovide a novel reinforced plastic sheet material particularly adaptedfor use in the construction of roll-up tubular containers for liquid andpaste materials.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from themore detailed description which follows, and the accompanying drawings.

Briefly, the present invention comprises a novel reinforced normallynon-tacky, thin plastic sheet, usually having a length substantiallygreater than its width, containing at one end at least one, and normallyseveral, thin elongated reinforcing stays of a length substantially lessthan the length of the sheet and having a generally rectangularcross-section. The invention additionally comprehends a method ofdraping and retracting the edge of a wound employing this novelreinforced plastic sheet material. Also encompassed by the invention aretubular container bodies for containing liquid or paste materials, thewalls of which are composed of the novel reinforced plastic sheetmaterial.

Turning now to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a form of reinforced plastic sheet materialofthis invention.

FIGURE 2 is a crosssectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional line of the plastic sheet material ofFIGURE l which has been folded over so as to be adapted to receive theedge of an incision within the fold.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of an incision having on either side thereoflengths of the reinforced plastic sheet material and having appliedthereto sufficient tension in order to spread the incision to permitaccess to the interior of the incision.

FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thereinforced plastic sheet material wherein the reinforcing stays are madeof spring metal having a normal configuration such that the one edge ofthe sheet is folded and adapted to receive the edge of the incision.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a roll-up paste or liquid tubular containerthe walls of which are constructed of the reinforced plastic sheet ofthis invention.

FIGURE 7 illustrates another and preferred embodiment of the presentinvention wherein transverse flexible reinforcing members 16 and 18 areprovided at each end of the stays 12. The members 16 and 18 arepreferably hollow plastic tubes such as Tygon or other similarmaterials. The members 16 and 18 are generally, although notnecessarily, perpendicular to the reinforcing stays and may be greaterthan, less than or equal to the width of the drape 10. Preferably themembers 16 and 18 are at least as long as the width of drape 10 orlonger since it has been found that this arrangement aids in the holdingof the end of the drape in the incision.

FIGURE 8 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention in planview. In this embodiment, reinforced openings 20 and 22 are provided inorder to facilitate manual retraction of the wound by applying tensionforces to the drapes.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a plan view of another form of plastic drape within thescope of the present invention. In this embodiment the means for manualretraction is provided by the substantial rigid tubing 24 affixed todrape 10. The protruding ends of tubing 24 provide a convenient meansfor the application of the tension to the drape.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, it will be seen that inFIGURE 1 the plastic sheet material 10 contains a plurality oftransversely spaced metal reinforcing stays 12 at one end thereof. Thesestays may be flat as shown in FIGURE 2. However, when it is desired toform the plastic drape material around the edge of an incision the staysare sufficiently malleable so that they may be folded over as in FIGURE3 and thus fitted to the incision. Alternatively, the stays 12 may beformed of spring metal material 14 as shown in FIGURE 5, in which casethe stays need not be folded over prior to or at the time of placing theplastic drape around the edge ofthe incision.

In using the reinforced plastic sheet material of this invention, forthe surgical draping of the patient to provide a sterile draped coveringaround the operative field and extending around the edge of theincision, the sheet material is formed to the approximate contour of theskin and the edge of the sheet having the reinforced stays is foldedaround the edge of the incision. At times the site of the proposedincision is prepared by adhesively securing to the area a thin sheet ofconventional surgical draping material. The incision is made through thedrape material after which the novel reinforced plastic sheet materialof this invention is applied and folded around the edge of the incision.Thereafter, tension may be applied to the sheet material to retract theedges of the incision and permit access to the interior of the wound.The tension necessary for retraction may be maintained by the use oftowelclips placed laterally through the drape toward the underlyingdrape, surgical table, or skin. The tension required for traction mayalso be provided by the use of weights attached to the ends of thedrapes. The tension may also be applied and maintained manually. Thistechnique is facilitated by the use of drapes having the featuresillustrated by FIGURES 8 through 10 as will be immediately apparent tothose skilled in the art. The means for manual retraction shown inFIGURES 8 to 10 are merely illustrative and various other expedients maybe utilized including handles, grips, tabs and the like. Once thetension has been applied to the drapes it may be maintained 3 manuallyor byweights as indicated above ,orb'y adhering the drapes to theunderlying skin or dressing by the use of glue or other adherentmaterial. For example, the underside of the drapes of the presentinvention may be provided with a Velcro material which can be adhered tothe complementary Velcro material on the underlying dressing. ln yetanother way, the tension may be maintained on the drapes for retractionby the use of a belt running beneath the patient and connected at eachof its ends to the free ends ofthe drapes.

Any number of drapes may be utilized in draping and retracting the edgeof an incision according to the present invention. For example, a singledrape may be arranged at either side of the incision as shown in thedrawings. Alternatively, 3, 4, 5 or more drapes may be arranged aroundthe incision to completely encircle it, and provide for overlappingflaps surrounding the edge of the incision. Many other applications ofthe surgical drape of this invention will be immediately apparent tosurgeons and other persons skilled in the art.

The surgical drape can, of course, be manufactured in various sizes andshapes (rectangular, square, etc.) suitable for different sizesofincisions. In general, large, medium and small drapes are 25, 18 and12 cm. long, corresponding to the different sizes of the incision. Thestays are normally about 1/10 to H2 the length of the drape and measurefrom 5 to 15 centimeters in length and H2 to 3/4 centimeters in width.The thickness of the stays is sufficient not to yield to traction, onthe order of0.05 to 0.2 centimeters. The stays may be made of a springmetal or may be a tempered metalor other material, preferably of amalleable nature. The stays may be sealed within two or more layers ofplastic film by heat sealing, or simply adhered to the surface of thefilm.

While the foregoing discussion has particularly dwelt on the use of thenovel plastic sheet material of this invention as a surgical drape, itis emphasized that the invention additionally envisions other usestherefor, such as in tubular containers of the familiar shape shown inFIGURE 6 for tooth paste, ointments and the like. The walls of suchcontainers can be advantageously fabricated from the reinforced sheetmaterial of the present invention. This may be accomplished by forming alength of the sheet material into a generally tubular configuration, andfitting one end thereof with an externally threaded conventional metalfitting adapted to receive an internally threaded closure cap. Throughthe other end of the tubing may then be inserted the paste or liquid andthereafter the end tightly sealed by conventional heat sealingtechniques. When it is desired to use the material within the tubularcontainer, the cap is then removed and wrapping force is applied to theother end of the container expelling the required amount of the liquidor paste contents from the tube. Since the reinforcing stays aregenerally longitudinally aligned along the length of the tube, themalleable material will retain the rolled up configuration and may bestored in a rolled up condition indefinitely after release of thewrapping force. The material is therefore as functionally suitable asthe conventional metal roll-up containers while at the same timeproviding a substantial reduction in the cost of materials and alsoproviding a transparent wall through which the contents may be observedfor color, quantity and the like.

The materials employed in the sheet material can be varied, as will beapparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the plastic sheet may be anynormally thin transparent film such as Saran (vinyl chloride-vinylidenechloride copolymer), polyvinyl chloride, Mylar (polyethyleneterephthalate), polyethylene and polypropylene. The metal stays arenormally steel or aluminum, but other metals are also satisfactory.

Many other uses for the novel reinforced plastic sheet material of thisinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,the methods and products herein described constitute the preferredembodiments of the invention and it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to these precise methods and products. Themonopoly afforded by this patent is that defined by the scope of theappended claims.

lClaim:

l. A noveldisposable wound retractor and drape comprising a thin plasticsheet having a length substantially greater than its widthcontaininglongitudinally thereof at one end a plurality of generallyparallel transversely spaced thin elongated malleable metal reinforcingstays of generally rectangular cross-section, one of the long dimensionsof each stay terminating at the edge of said sheet, and the length ofthe stays being about one-tenth to one-half the length of the sheet,that end of said sheet having the stays being adapted to fold around theedge of an incision and the rest of the sheet being adapted to bedisposed generally along the skin of the patient for applying tension toretract the edges of the incision.

2. The novel thin plastic sheet of Claim 1 wherein there is positionedproximate to each end of said stays and transversely thereof a flexiblereinforcing member.

3. The novel thin plastic sheet of Claim 1 wherein there is positionedproximate to each end of said stays and transversely thereof a flexiblereinforcing member comprising tubular plastic.

4. The novel plastic sheet of Claim 1 wherein there is provided thereina means for manually applying tension to said sheet.

5. A novel disposable wound retractor and drape comprising a thin vinylplastic sheet having a length substantially greater than its widthcontaining longitudinally thereof at one end a plurality of generallyparallel transversely'spaced thin elongated malleable reinforcing staysof generally rectangular cross-section, one of the long dimensions ofeach stay terminating at the edge of said sheet, and the length of thestays being about one-tenth to one-half the length of the sheet, thatend of said sheet having the stays being adapted to fold around the edgeof an incision and the rest of the sheet being adapted to be disposedgenerally along the skin of the patient for applying tension to retractthe edges of the incision.

6. A novel disposable wound retractor and drape comprising a thinplastic sheet having a length substantially greater than its widthhaving imbedded longitudinally therein at one end a plurality ofgenerally parallel transversely spaced thin elongated malleablereinforcing stays of generally rectangular cross-section, one of thelong dimensions of each stay terminating at the edge of said sheet, andthe length of the stays being about one-tenth to one-half the length ofthe sheet, that end of said sheet having the stays being adapted to foldaround the edge of an incision and the rest of the sheet being adaptedto be disposed generally along the skin of the patient for applyingtension to retract the edges of the incision.

7. A novel disposable wound retractor and drape comprising a thinplastic sheet having a length substantially greater than its widthhaving adhered longitudinally thereto at one end a plurality ofgenerally parallel transversely spaced thin elongated reinforcing staysof generally rectangular cross-section, one of the long dimensions ofeach stay terminating at the edge of said sheet, and the length of thestays being less than the length of the sheet positioned proximate toeach end of said stays and transversely thereof, a flexible reinforcingmember, that end of said sheet having the stays being adapted to foldaround the edge of an incision and the rest of the sheet being adaptedto be disposed generally along the skin of the patient for applyingtension to retract the edges of the incision.

8. A method of draping and retracting the edge of an incision whichcomprises placing around the edge of the incision a novel thin plasticsheet having a length substantially greater than its width containinglongitudinally thereof at one end a plurality of generally paralleltransversely spaced thin elongated reinforcing stays of generallyrectangular cross-section, one of the long dimensions of each of saidstays terminating at the edge of said sheet, and the length of the staysbeing less than the length of the sheet, folding that end of said sheetmaterial having the stays around the edge of the incision, and disposingthe rest of the sheet generally along the skin of the patient wherebythe same is made receptive to the application of said stays terminatingat the edge of said sheet, and the length of the stays being less thanthe length of the sheet, folding that end of said sheet material havingthe stays around the edge of the incision, and disposing the rest of thesheet generally along the skin of the patient whereby the same is madereceptive to the application of tension forces for retraction of theedges of the incision.

